The U.S. has approved the world’s only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV, maker Gilead Sciences announced Wednesday. It’s the first step in an anticipated global rollout that could protect millions – although it’s unclear how many in the U.S. and abroad will get access to the powerful new option.
While a vaccine to prevent HIV still is needed, some experts say the shot — a drug called lenacapvir — could be the next best thing. It nearly eliminated new infections in two groundbreaking studies of people at high risk, better than daily preventive pills they can forget to take.
“This really has the possibility of ending HIV transmission,” said Greg Millett, public policy director at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.
In the US it will cost $30,000 per year of treatment, while a generic version could be sold for $40 and still be massively profitable.
Jesus Christ, I thought you were just being cynical, but they’re really planning on charging that much. These fucking people, I swear…
Just waiting for RFK jr to revoke this approval on the basis that it can’t prevent gay people from doing poppers, so it must not work.
It’s like Goose Bumps cover art
Necronomicon cover but for pestilence matters only
He probably believes poppers are the real cause of AIDS since that was a conspiracy theory for awhile.
D…do…don’t listen… t…to me. I’m… no…not a doctor. You know, Pop…pers… that causes aids.
There’s actually a video out there of him talking to a room full of people about this exact thing. He 100% endorses this theory.
He’ll probably dig up the editors of Continuum magazine to give them leadership positions in the FDA afterwards.
“Gilead” sciences.
Yikes.
Formed in 1987, two years after Margaret Atwood published The Handmaid’s Tale.
It’s an old name for a real place, not likely a reference to the book
There are multiple conflicting stories about the origin of the name, none of which involve the book, so I’m definitely thinking it’s the book
Probably coincidence, it was supposedly named after Balm of Gilead
Quick poll, Under this current admin, the stance by RFK jr., and with their open stance of LGBQT+ community; will you trust them enough to take this vaccine?
I really am interested to see the responses.
Unfortunately, it’s not a vaccine. It’s similar to the Depo Provera shot in that it releases the active medication over a long time from a gel injected into a muscle, but it doesn’t grant immunity when the drug is not present in the system the way a vaccine would.
Approved by AI or scientists?
The EU and Canada too.
Twice a year, because making a single shot vaccine won’t give you repeat customers.
Hey look a science illiterate trying to do science!
Imagine the business unit telling the scientists “sorry, we can’t put out your vaccine, please alter it” and the scientists replying with anything other than “go fuck yourself, I’m selling this for millions to someone else” lol
There’s no conspiracy to prevent an HIV vaccine
I mean, the scientists could not legally sell it to someone else. They’re employed by the pharmaceutical company who owns their research.
But you’re right, being the first company to beat HIV would be worth way more than whatever profits you’re making off the drug. Same with cancer.
You overestimate wildly how much pharmaceutical companies Vs Universities contribute to the R&D to a new drug
lol who downvoted this. I work in healthcare and a bunch of our research if funded by pharmaceutical companies. It’s not like they do it all in house
If they say “we won’t pursue your drug you discovered” then you 100% can pursue it elsewhere
That’s not how pharmaceutical research works.
You’re right, it is more complicated because there is usually more than one party involved. Regardless, if anything were available like a true vaccine, someone would piggyback on that research and make bank
My Nurse Practitioner was telling me yesterday they are studying the right dosage to make it just 1 shot a year. So hopefully on the way when they figure that out
Yeah, this stuff takes time to work out. As long as the side effects aren’t a big deal, they might err on the side of too much.
Covid vaccines were something of an exception because they were motivated and infections were widespread. Lots of chances to get good data. Treatments for other diseases don’t have those advantages.
The HPV vax, for example, was released in 2016 on a three dose schedule. There’s some studies out there that argue two doses would be plenty, but it’s not a consensus, either. That’s after almost a decade.
PrEP is already keeping HIV infection rates pretty low, at least in rich countries where there’s money to do these studies. Not going to be good data on dose schedules for many, many years. Maybe even decades.
FFS … Conspiracy theories help nobody. Go away.
Do you know for a fact there’s not a medical reason for splitting it into two doses?
Of course they don’t
I don’t know that either, but for other drugs that can prevent hiv infections, it’s much more frequent. Like weekly, or daily.
It isn’t a vaccine. It’s a slow-release compound like the Depo Provera shot that is used for birth control. It’s an amazing option for people who have trouble with daily pills for any reason and it’s more effective than the PreP pills available on the market today.
FTA:
“U.S. list price, meaning before insurance, is $28,218 a year”
Same price regardless, 1 or 2 shots. It’s per year, not per shot.
What’s shitty is that this drug could damn near wipe out HIV if it were accessible to everyone who needed it.
But I guess we can’t have that.
Nearly nobody will pay sticker price though. They have to set an absolute bullshit price, so the Pharmacy Benefit Managers can “negotiate” a huge “discount” (=real price) to show how much savings and value they create.
It’s the same with costs for Hospitals in the US (huge Bullshit Sticker Price, insurance negotiates a “discount” for the employer, and gets a percentage for the service and savings they provide)
You clearly have not read the article, and thus don’t understand that the prophylactic nature of the shot requires a 6-month administration cycle. Like when you get a flu shot, or a Covid vaccine. Or (with current PrEP meds) a pill that you take every day.
Read the article.
